Telephone-switchboard.



PATENTED JULY 9. 190V. P'. w. woon. TELEPHONE SWITGHBOARD. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 12.` 1906.

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1510.859276. PATENTE) JULY 9, 1907.

F. w. woon.

TELEPHONE SWITGHBOARD. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 12. 190e.

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No. 855x276. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

P. W. Woon.

TELEPHONE SWITGHBOARD. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 12, 190e.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FRANK W. WOOD, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES CORY AND JOHN M. CORY,YOF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM. h

TE LE PHONE-.SWITCHBOARD Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed .l'uly l2, 1906. Serial No. 325,823.

United States, residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Switchboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switchboards especially adapted for use as central telephone switchboards and particularly applicable to .use on vessels or in other locations where it is necessary to protect the mechanism from moistrn'e or other injurious influences.

One object ofthe invention is to provide apparatus oi the character described in which those portions liable to deterioration shall be protected.

Another' object of the invention is to provide a switchboard in which the contacts can be readily inspected or cleaned and without disturbing their mounting.

Another object is to provide a switchboard in which different portions may be readily dismantled for inspection, repair or renewal without disturbing the remainder of the board.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure l is a front elevation oi a central telephone switchboard embodying the invention, partly broken away, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the contacts being omitted, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2, showing the contacts and their mountings, partly in section, Fig. 4 is a plan view of one set of contacts, Fig. 5 is a diagram of circuits controlled by the switchboard, and Fig. 6 is a simplified diagram showing the relative connections o two commimicating telephone sets.

Referring to the drawings, the switchboard comprises a box or casing A to which is hinged a lid B. Within the casing is a shutter C having an opening. Over the opening are vertical strips D carrying cam levers E for operating the sets of contacts F. I The sets of contacts F are secured to horizontal strips G extending across the opening and secured to the shutter C. The vertical strips D are also secured to the shutter and to the horizontal strips. The levers are equally spaced upon the strips D so that when the said strips are se-4 cured side by side, the cam levers will be in horizontal rows and there is a horizontal strip G for each oi the horizontal rows. Mounted at one side, upon the shutter are the operators set comprising the receiver H and transmitter I and clearing-out drops Ii, there being one drop for each horizontal row oi cam levers. On the shutter at the top are mounted line drops L, one for each vertical row of cam levers, and a switch M for cutting a buzzer or bell z into the line drop circuit at the will of the operator. The drops are of the well known target self-restoring type and the switch M may be of any suitable construction. No further description of them is therefore necessary. Secured to the casing A is a separate connection box O closed at the front by a cover P and containing terminals Q, for incoming Wires,

mounted on insulating strips R.

The casing A is Water-tight and the cover B is secured thereto to preserve its tightness by means of dogs l pivoted to the cover and adapted to engage with ears 2 secured to the casing, packing 3 being interposed between the casing and its cover. The box O is also water-tight and its cover' is secured by means of screws 4, a packing 5 being placed between the box and cover.

The sets of contacts F are supported upon horizontal strips G, there being one set of contacts for each of the cam levers. Since each of the sets of contacts F and its corresponding cam lever is precisely similar to every other set of contacts and its cam lever, a description oi one set of horizontal strips and its cooperating cam lever will apply to each.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that each set of contacts comprises three groups a, b and c, each comprising six contacts 6, 7, 8, 9, l0 and 1l. The contacts of a set are so mounted that each one of the contacts is insulated from every other, that is, no circuit is formed through the mounting from one contact to the other. Each set of contacts is supported upon a bracket l2 secured by means of a screw 13 to a horizontal strip G. Through the medium of the brackets l2 the vertical strips Dare secured to the horizontal strips Gr by means of screws 14 which pass through the vertical strips and engage with the brackets. Each cam lever.E is pivoted in a vertical strip D at 15 and at its inner extremity carries members 16, 1Gb and 16c suitably insulated from each other or being o insulating material, adapted to engage with the ends of the contacts 7 and l0 of the three groups of the set to which the cam lever corresponds. It will be noted that the contacts 7 and l0 extend beyond the others and at their extremities are provided with arc-shaped portions of such configuration that when the cam lever E is thrown upwardly, and therefore the inner end thrown downwardly, the contacts l0 will be moved downwardly and their arc-shaped ends will engage with the members i6, 161 and 16c so that the cam lever will be held in the position in which it is placed. Similarly if the outer end of the lever is thrown downwardly the members ,16L to 16c inclusive will engage with the extremities of the contacts 7. The rear ends of the contacts are adapted to have conductors connected to them and are i strips D are placed close together and constitute the face of the switchboard and that the cam levers carried by them are removed with the strips, thereby exposing to view and rendering accessible the working ends of the contacts so that they may be readily inspected or cleaned. The cam levers are not mechanically connected to any of the contacts but simply engage therewith when the strips are in position. It is not necessary therefore to effect any mechanical disconnection to remove the strips and examine the contacts other than to remove the screws which secure the particular strip in question. The arrangement of the contacts it will be noted is such that the working ends or those which make and break contact are at the front so that they may be readily examined from the front upon removal of a vertical strip. If after a strip has been removed it is found necessary to remove one of the sets F of contacts this may be readily done by removing the screw 13 holding the particular bracket 12 on which the set of contacts is mounted, Access to the rear ends of the contacts for effecting connections or other purposes is readily obtained by swinging down the shutter C on its hinges when the whole back of the shutter will be exposed to View and will be easy of access.

In the diagram of circuits shown in Fig. 5 the connections of the contacts for the particular' telephone system illustrated is clearly set forth.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 it will be seen that there is one telephone instrument and one line drop for each vertical row of switches. The extreme left hand row is connected with the operators set. As many horizontal Vrows are provided as the number of separate conversations which it is desirable to carry on at once. It will be noted that there are apparently shown two receiver hooks at each telephone set. If desired, two receivers or hearing tubes, joined in multiple, and mechanically connected together, may be used to co-operate therewith, as is well known in the art, or, the diagram may be understood as merely representing two Contact strips carried by the same receiver hook. When the person desiring to call, removes his receiver from the hook, the contacts assume the position shown at T, and the line drop of that particular vertical row is actuated by means of a circuit including the transmitter of the calling station and battery U or generator V. The line drop having been actuated, the operators set and subscriber calling are connected in conversational relation by throwing a cam switch in the vertical row corresponding to the operators set in one direction and the switch in the row corresponding to the calling station and in the horizontal row with the thrown operators switch in the opposite direction. An ex ample of such a connection is shown in the top horizontal row of the diagram. The operations as described having been efected the connections between the operators set and the calling subscriber are simply shown in Fig. 6, the talking current being supplied by the battery X of which there is one corresponding to each horizontal row of switches.

The operator haivng ascertained what station the calling subscriber desires to communicate with, a push button, Y corresponding to the vertical row of the subscriber desired, is pushed whereupon a ringing current passes from battery U or generator V through the signal of the called station. The operator then throws a cam switch in the horizontal row with the thrown switch of the calling station and in the vertical row corresponding to the called station in the opposite direction from the switch of the calling station whereupon circuit connections are established between the called and calling stations as shown in Fig. 6. The operator cuts his own set out of circuit by bringing his switch to normal position. It will be observed that during conversation the clearing-out drops are energized but upon the hanging up of a receiver at either of the communicating stations the talking circuit and therefore that ot the clearing-out drop is broken when the latter restores to cleared position.

By closing the switch M an audible signal Z is operated by the closing of the line drop circuit so that in case of darkness or foi` other reasons where the attention of the operator would not be attracted by the visual drops he will not fail to be notiiied of acall.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application it may be embodied in other constructions or arrangements and should not therefore be limited to the construction or arrangement shown.

What I claim is:-

1. 'lhe combination with a support, of a shutter hinged thereto, and contacts, operating means therefor, drops and an operators set mounted upon the shutter.

2. The combination with a casing, of a shutter movably mounted therein, contacts, operating means therefor, drops and an operators set mounted upon the shutter, and a lid for said casing outside the shutter.

3. The combination with contacts having their working ends toward the front of the switchboard and the said board constructed in separately removable sections, said sections being removable independently of said contacts, whereby the working ends of a particular set of contacts can be examined and cleaned by removing the section in front of it without disturbing, the remainder of the board, of means'for operating the contacts mounted in the said sections of the switchboard.

4. The combination with contacts having their working ends toward the front of the switchboard and the said board constructed in separately removable sections, said sections being, removable independently of said contacts, whereby the working ends of a particular set of contacts can be examined and cleaned by removing the section in front ot it without disturbing the remainder of the board, of means mounted in the said sections for operating said contacts, the said means being adapted to engage with the contacts but being mechanically connected only with the said sections.

5. The combination with a support comprising horizontal strips, of brackets extending rearwardly from the strips, sets of contacts mounted on the said brackets, vertical strips also carried upon said support and levers mounted in said vertical strips and adapted to engage with said contacts.

G. The combination with a hinged support comprising horizontal strips, ot' brackets extendingl rearwardly from the strips, sets of contacts mounted on the said brackets, vertical strips also carried upon said support, levers mounted in said vertical strips and adapted to engage with said contacts, and a water-tight casing having a lid in which the said support and the apparatus which lt bears are located.

7. The combination with a support comprising separated strips, of sets of contacts carried by said strips'and sections carrying operating means for said contacts, said sections beingr removable independently of each other and' of said contacts.

S. The combination with a casing, 0f a shutter movably mounted therein and comprising separated strips,

sets of contacts carried by said strips and sections carry ing operating means for said contacts, said sections being removable independently of each other and of said contacts, and a lid for said casing outside said shutter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handin presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W.` WOOD.

Witnesses J. E. WARREN, GERRARD F. MASON. 

